What do I mean by the “Middle”?

The middle ground is where much farm policy has been made in years past.  Now in many arenas, especially politics the middle is losing ground to both ends of the spectrum.

This has huge implications for commercial production agriculture in the future.

Not just with farm programs, but in regulations, taxes, public opinion of farmers.

What type of food production consumers actually want is moving out of the “middle”.

Will there be opportunities, yes, but I see the downside for most of us as being greater.

Many things are changing for agriculture, but are the god times, so good we are not seeing what is coming at us.

Even at times I think agricultural producers have no middle ground with each other anymore.

Lots of information on what I believe is the biggest topic not being talked about in agriculture today.

Maybe my most important podcast to date.

Josh Flint

Peanuts, Rice and to an extent Cotton rose up and at least for now, opposed the Senate Farm Bill proposal.

Senators from the south, and yes Republican Senators are speaking out against what they see as a lack of an equitable program for southern crops.  Namely rice, peanuts and to a certain extent cotton.  Saxby Chambliss – R Georgia, and John Boozman -R Arkansas.  I also find it interesting that Larry Combest, former House Agricultural Comm. Chairman helped organize the letter that opposed the Senate Farm Bill Draft, at least for now. Cochran – R Mississippi, and the Republican Senate leader McConnell – Kentucky also voted against the bill.

Where are you going to find the money to make them happy?

Is there enough Political will to keep a form of Direct Payments for them, or raise target prices like they would like ?

Farm Bill fight is still Regional not political, at least not yet.

Stabenow and Roberts did not have their bases covered.  That is surprising to many observers.  Things like this do not generally move unless they have broad support.

This Southern Slowdown of the Farm Bill will make it that much harder to get anything done before the 2012 election.

I am not saying they should not have done it.  They need to do what they think is best for their farmers.

Stabenow did change some things to placate two very powerful democratic senators from North Dakota and Montana.  One chairman of the Finance comm., the other chairman of the Budget comm.

Did the corn growers over reach?  Will all this support for corn, be used against ethanol, etc., at a later time?

It looks to me corn got everything it wanted and then some in this Senate draft.  So, does this mean since there are around 300,000 corn farmers and 5,000 rice farmers, corn should get a better deal.  Now I know a lot of corn producers will say the payments going to crops down south have dwarfed what ever corn and or soybeans have gotten in the past, but corn also gets a lot from the ethanol backing by the feds.

Now the process goes to the house.  This is where the real fight is.  Senate Bill is what I think the Ag Committee in the house will start from, but will Lucas go along?

Getting a Bill out of the Senate Ag committee is a start, and increases the odds a farm bill will be done before the November election, but this by no means is  a sure thing.

A bill mark up is where a committee goes over a proposal and “marks up” the paper with changes.  But, the major stuff has already been decided in the Senate Agricultural Committee.

$23 Billion in budget cuts over a 10 year period.  Major component will be the Agricultural Risk Coverage Program – the same thing that purposed during the “super” committee debate last year.

I go over many of the details of this program.

Cotton growers get their “STAX” program.

A new specialty crop program, Supplemental Coverage Option.

Conservation, food stamps, Dairy, etc. programs are discussed.

I also further discuss where the house agricultural committee is at and doing with the farm bill.

I discuss many of the twists and turns that could happen before a farm bill will be completed.

John Boehner leader of the house does not want a farm bill discussion before the election.  He does not want Republicans fighting each other before the election.  I go through all the factions in a farm bill debate.

World Trade Organizations and problems with parts of the farm bill.

Crop Insurance is under attack.  Environmental Working Group and others really do not like privately administered crop insurance.  EWG funded a “study” by Bruce Babcock a professor at Iowa State University that takes major hits at crop insurance.

Not all agricultural groups are united in what they want in the next farm bill.

Is the number to cut 23 billion or 33 billion?

Big discussion on Food Stamps and how much the program has grown in the last 10 years.

If there is no farm bill is an extension of the current bill possible?

Dairy – I have a good idea what will not be able to pass the house, so what will the policy be?  Nobody may know the answer to that.

Conservation – there will be some reductions and consolidations, but where and how much?

Other Factors – Where will commodity prices at? Drought or surplus crops, either extreme has implications for a farm bill.  EWG – just what is their game?  Food stamps and attempts to rein this program in could spill over into other areas of the farm bill and gain or lose votes on the final passage of a farm bill.  2012 presidential election will have effects this summer and fall on the farm bill debate.  Senate and House election also will have big effects.

Possible Government shut down right before the election?

Government workers “partying” cold and will affect everything the government does as long as people remember what has went on.

Senate is moving fast. I always thought Senate would move before the House.  When politicians want something done and they all agree on it, it can happen fast.

And one more thing, since Obama did not make a million dollars, he only made a little over $700,000, he does not qualify to pay his much promoted “Buffett Rule” additional tax.

My solution is a very easy one.  Lower the tax rate on the secretaries!!!!!!

This is so simple to do.  I have long believed that the “trust fund” rich, oh how I do not like that description, but for lack of a better one, I will use it.  They have used tax policy to limit competition for them to not have to compete for assets with the hard working people in this country.

These “people” have already made their fortunes.  A lot of these “families” then use charitable trusts and foundations to get around “the rules”, legally of course.  And, since the working man if he ever got ahead would then be competition for them, lets tax the heck out of “ordinary” income, hard work income in my view, and keep “them down on the farm”.

That is why I favor a low flat tax rate with no deductions.  If you then want to work hard, save much, and live on very little, you could get ahead.  But, with the high taxers keeping the working man down, how do we get ahead?  We don’t by design, the ones on top want high taxes so they do not have any competition.

So, my view is that a low flat tax would help the hard working people the most.  That my friend is a true populist position.

So what am I talking about.  I have an I phone 4s. Love it, I just love it.  After waiting until our cell phone contract came up for renewal, Judi and I went off in search of new phones.  She already has an apple laptop and an I Pad, so she knew what she wanted.  Well I thought if she is getting one I will get one. She and I both thought she would be the “heavier” user of the phone apps, but boy do I use that thing all the time.  One we especially like is the “Gas Buddy” app, which basically tells you where the cheapest gas is.

We also traded cars after the first of the year and the “new – used” one is a flex fuel vehicle.  We have tried E85 and have had success with it as a fuel so now where does one find the stations that carry E85?

We found one, count that one E85 app and it was rated only one star and had many negative comments. It also cost $1.99 which is kinda high for that type of app.  Most that I use are free or 99 cents.  So we need a free app that should help corn growers move more ethanol into motor vehicle engines.

So back to my original question, come on corn grower groups all over the country, with your check off dollars, where is the app, where is the app?????

Bill,

I listened to your podcast today about pink slime and I think you are way off base.  You are proving that you and your Commercial Production Agriculture radicals are just out there to make a buck.  Your lean finely textured beef is not just beef trimmings as you would say.  It is “beef” scrap that cannot be removed from the bone without mechanical process liken unto wire brushing.  The residue of bone and meat and fat is heated and spun in a centrifuge to separate the products then it is treated with ammonia and that, sir, is your beef trimmings or LFTB.  Nothing like beef trimmings more like pink slime, such a low quality product that most people would not even feed it to pets.

But of course you already know this you are just trying to put your radical commercial production agriculture spin on it.  Just like the corn farmer supporting E15 which creates issues in fuel systems and contributes to rising food costs.

I was born and raised on a hog and grain farm and was driven off the farm by your commercial production agriculture radicals.  I would consider myself college educated middle class, a libertarian, and a Christian and I don’t support LFTB.

I am interested in homesteading and permaculture and listen to several podcasts in that genre.  They rant about CPA and Monsanto and poisoning the earth quite often and I grew tired and felt that it was a personal attack with my roots so I added your podcast to the mix to temper their noise.  But after your last several episodes about the farm bill and pink slime I think that they are more correct all the time.

Please, Bill, don’t cause me to lose any more faith in the American farmer.  Maybe they all died out in the 80’s.  The only thing left is greed at the expense of the earth and our health.

name removed by me to protect the innocent

Name removed by me to protect the innocent,

Sorry you feel this way.  I too barely survived the 1980′s.  I paid 17% interest on money back then.  I was also born and raised on a hog and grain farm.  I also thought after I graduated from Illinois State University, after going 2 years to a Community College to save money, that I would always just raise a bunch of hogs and farm some ground and that would be that.  Got out of the hogs in 1994.  Late 1990′s were tough on the income side also and I had a wife and 3 kids, which was much different then the 1980′s when first it was just me and then it was just Judi and I.

By today’s standards we are still very small farmers.  We just try to make everything count to make the ends meet.  I also have learned a lot from watching other farmers and yes some of them are very large.

I have one farm that is bordered on  2 sides by 2 different 60,000 acre operations, a 20,000 acre operation is on another side and a 11,000 acre operation borders me on the other.  Yes, the pressures are huge in my area where cash rents are in the $300 to $500 dollar an acre range.

I also support your decision to not eat “pink slime” as you call it which I believe is just an attempt to turn people off from eating beef.  With our small cattle operation if you and I could come to an agreement where the money was right I would raise your beef you would by from me any way you would like it raised as long as it was not inhumane to the animals in my opinion.  But, I would hope you would also respect my right to produce a product for sale to others that they could afford that would be economical for them to purchase.

And no we did not die out in the 1980′s we just figured out that farming is not just a lifestyle that only the very rich could afford if we the remaining farmers did not run our farms as businesses also.

I have to make some money to take care of my family, reinvest into the farm, provide a cushion against the hard times that will come again, and try and provide a little something for the next generation.  I have 2 boys who want to farm.  I know I can make room for one of them and I worry everyday how to grow the farm in this environment agriculture is in to bring another into this operation also.

Couple last comments about the farm bill and Monsanto and others.  If I was “king” for a day the farm bill would be much different than it is now, but 1, I am not king, and 2, I have to be realistic on what I think is possible and what will/could happen and how farmers need to position their operations to survive what is coming down the road at them.

Monsanto and other big agricultural companies, love them or hate them, they are here to stay and have tremendous clout and influence in agriculture.  Maybe farmers just have to learn how to “get along” with this fact and figure out how to still stay profitable in agriculture.

As for the homesteading and “permaculture”.  What ever that means, since a permanent culture could be so many things to so many people, these are lifestyle choices.  And I am happy for the people that choose to do this, just do not force me to do it too.  My question, how/what do they do to make the money they need to support this lifestyle?  Whether they need large or small amounts of money, they still need a basic minimum to survive on.  Maybe that is why they rant about “big agriculture”.

You also said you were a libertarian.  If that is so then why can’t meat processing companies sell lean finely textured beef?  You then have the right not to buy that product and spend more money on other more expensive cuts of meat, right?  Just a question.

Thanks for the comments, I appreciate it when somebody makes me think.

Thanks again.

I could say so much more.  And it would be constructive comments.  I just think at times shorter answers are better.  I did not comment on the “spin” comment.  That is one thing I do is call it as I see it.  I think life would be better if we all cut down on the “gray” areas.  Life should be more like baseball, every pitch is either a ball or a strike, not “that was too close too call”.  So if you think it is spin, you don’t know me.  I always try to either call it a ball or a strike.  Any body want to play ball?

I believe many of these attempts to influence food choices by the “masses” has turned into THE INTENTIONAL RAISING OF FOOD PRICES SO AS TO LIMIT “CHOICES” BY LOW AND MIDDLE INCOME PEOPLE.

It is a radical agenda by vegans, vegetarians, radical “local” and “organic” “foodies” to destroy commercial production agriculture.  To some it is a religion to them.  These people are also going out of their way to target women.

Commercial Agriculture may have to stop playing nice and use their tactics against them.  Which would be to copy the “Rules for Radicals” playbook from Saul Alinsky and isolate and destroy them.  This is also a clash of cultures.

Their choices (radical foodies) are their choices but leave the rest of us alone and don’t force your views on us.

We can do all the know your farmer know your food campaigns, but we will never win over the radicals.  These radicals re-define the terms, law, and language to fit their needs.  Commercial Production Agriculture and the way all of mainstream agriculture has communicated for years may not work anymore.  We (ag communicators) do not want to upset anybody, we want full access to everybody, and we play way too nice.

I also discuss the new American elite and how they grow up and live isolated from the rest of America.  These “super” zip codes where these people with tremendous wealth and influence live do not understand anything about how a lot of things are done.  But, it does not matter, they want it their way.  And, they suffer from “elite guilt” that everybody else should have “it” that way too.

Hopefully Commercial Production Agriculture will figure out it is in the fight of its life (that includes you grain farmers too). And commercial production agriculture will be able to defeat these radical foodies and their attempts to limit choices of food through any means available to them. Including the radical foodie’s policies pricing food out of the reach of many of the consumers in America.

Thank you, thank you, thank you for listening.

This is the 51st podcast in just over a year.

I talk about who is listening and give a shout out to a few of my loyal listeners.

I have even had a you tube video of some one listening to one of my podcasts, while driving on the road M6 in England.

I go over my goals for the next year with the podcasts and why I think I can be more independent than many agricultural communicators.

I also come at this from a commercial production agricultural perspective. But I also have a bunch of experiences to build on in this endeavor.

A special thanks to my wife Judi for making all this possible.  And once again thank you to all my listeners.

Farm Bill

I report on, and give my take on what was said at the House ag committee hearing in Galesburg, Illinois.

It is my belief that a farm bill is very likely to be passed before the election.  The winds have changed and I think it may get done.

I have testified to Congress before and this “field hearing” was much like all the others I have been at.

From the sounds of it, crop insurance will be a big part of the farm bill and direct payments are gone.  I also think chairman Lucas would have liked for the farm bill to not have had to be caught up in the current big government/raise taxes/cut government debate that is now going on in Washington, D.C.

Listen and enjoy, not a real long podcast.

I still like my idea of a farmer choice farm bill.  The link below is where anyone can give testimony to the House Ag Committee in regards to what should be in ( or not in) the next farm bill.

http://agriculture.house.gov/farmbill_feedback.html

I continue my discussion of the 2012/2013 farm bill.

What is the fall back position for agricultural groups if a farm bill does not happen?

What is your fall back position for your agricultural operation if a farm bill does not happen?

Lots of hurdles to overcome to get a farm bill finished.

Agricultural committee members and their staffs have done this more than once during difficult times.

Budget in the end is the problem with getting a farm bill done.

Can both the House and Senate pass a Farm Bill and get Obama to sign it before the November election?

Can they even get a transportation bill done before March 31, 2012?

Offices closures are going to be a hot topic this summer.  No not USDA FSA/NRCS/RD offices, but local Post Offices are scheduled to be closed.

Will the new debt limit just passed late last year be hit before or after the November 2012 election?  Remember all the processes and cussing and discussing that went on to get the debt limit raised last fall.  Can a farm bill be even brought up in that atmosphere?  

Will farm groups agree on something, agree to disagree, or fight amongst themselves?

Will crop insurance and CRP be the only real big farm bill programs in the end? Maybe not this farm bill but in the next one?

The real hangups I see are; how direct payments are replaced and will the boys down south with rice and peanuts and cotton get anywhere near that level of payment with an insurance type program, will there be any administrative changes to food assistance, and how will the environmental lobby react to cuts in conservation payments?

Do people in agriculture, especially farmers and ranchers in particular, focus too much time and attention on the negative things in our lives?

I know I do at times.

I start this podcast with a my short take on music, then compare it to agriculture. I know it sounds like a stretch, but stay with me.

So, why are so many farmers and ranchers so negative?

Today, many people all over the world are unhappy, but we have never had it so good.

I want to, no I really, really want to start focusing on the sunny side of things.

So listen and I hope you enjoy this as much as I did doing it.

He also could add, we are going to tell the states what type of taxes and programs they have to have to promote “fairness” and “equality”.  Since Obama and his progressive, liberal, socialistic, communists, yes I said communists, remember his cabinet secretary who said she admired Mao, are finding out “water will seek its own level”, which means money tends to flow to where the rewards and risks are going to give the money it best returns.

Yes we have to remember Obama is the smartest guy in the room and he will only have the best and brightest working for him.  And yes did she realize when she was praising Mao, that Mao is responsible for more deaths in modern history than anyone else?  Including Stalin and Hitler.  Mao through his direct policies either had killed or starved to death around 45 million people.  What a record to admire.  What a brilliant adviser she is.

Well back to his economic adviser.  So a global minimum tax???  Who will administer that everywhere?  Why don’t we just get rid of private property rights while he is at it.  With the attitude it all belongs to the government and if the government does not take it all in taxes and the government allows the poor peasants to keep some it is an expenditure to the government.  Who ever in government at the time came up with the idea if you let the citizens keep a little more of “their” money after taxes, government then will call it an expenditure, should be transported in time back to Mao’s China lets say about 1966 when the “Cultural Revolution” was going on.

Oh, maybe what he said is that these people in charge want a cultural revolution like Mao’s failed policies to not only remake America, but the world.  Who defines “fair”?  What is an appropriate level of “responsibility”?  Shared sacrifice, shared sacrifice,  what a bunch of jealous people.  He also talked about the very,very most fortunate Americans have to have “shared sacrifice” and a “burden” to sell a balance budget to the American people (he really means Obama supporters)  oh yeah, the almost 50% who pay no, none, not one cent whatever in income tax.

He complains about moving money to tax havens, well if the taxes were not so high one would not have to worry about that, would we?

First myth life is not fair.  If it was we would die in the order we were born.  So, get over it life is not fair and no amount of government is going to make it fair.

Second myth very, very most fortunate.  You shall not covet your neighbor’s house,  or anything that belongs to your neighbor.  Enough said.

So watch right here but don’t let your blood pressure get too high.

The nightmare continues.  And, one last thought, no wonder people with money to invest and start new businesses and create jobs are sitting it out right now.  One has to wonder how long they will have anything left to invest.

In 2006 the progressive liberals took over the United States House and Senate, along with many other political positions.  And, what followed in 2008 was a huge turn towards socialism.  The voters then made a big right turn away from the progressive liberals in 2010, but will it last????  And yes, many republicans can share in the blame of run away government social spending.

I live in one of the most progressively liberally run states in the nation.  It is not just the fact that the state is literally broke with way too many promises that it can never keep.  But, the court system is run by the trial lawyers with very high workman’s comp and all the other litigation costs associated with it. Regulations are way out if control also.  And of course union work rules are very pro union.

The progressive liberals also are going onto talk radio and TV in my state and saying how much better the business climate is now than it was before.  Of course I like to ask what about the 66% increase in state income taxes?  That, oh by the way, have done nothing to bring in the revenues needed to fix the fiscal mess.

Too many in the big, progressive, liberal, city by the lake think since they just “love” the big city and suburbs, why doesn’t everybody else?  

So look where all this has gotten Illinois.  Caterpillar is expanding 1000 jobs, but it will not be at its headquarters home town.

“Please understand that even if your community had the right logistics for this project, Caterpillar’s previously documented concerns about the business climate and overall fiscal health of the state of Illinois still would have made it unpractical for us to select your community for this project,” the letter reads in part. “Caterpillar intends to continue calling for long-term changes in Illinois and to offer help to the state as it works toward real and fundamental reforms that will position communities like yours to compete for future projects.”

Caterpillar will, instead, be expanding near its division headquarters in Cary, North Carolina.

This is just a very big example of what has been going on ever since Blago (Quinn) and his/(theirs) progressive liberal buddies came into power.  The Illinois Legislature has been run by the big city Democrats for years. But, for many years there was a downstate Republican Governor to check the stupidity.  Now just like the democratic governors, not all of the republicans stayed “clean” and out of jail, but sometimes one has to fight fire with fire.

It also amazes me the extent of the anger that some of these progressives have for small businesses.  All a lot of these small business people want is to left alone.  Not to have social engineering ran down the throat of their company.  Not to be in a position where they spend more time filling out forms than running their business.  And not to be taxed to the point where one does not want to work anymore.  But it seems to me either jealousy or liberal guilt drives many of these progressives to try and punish people who succeed in America.  Talk about killing the goose that will lay a golden egg.

So, for all of you out in rural dominated states, please look at what is happening in progressive liberal states such as Illinois and California.  It took more than 4 years to get into the big messes, but the second and third terms of the progressive liberals was/is when the businesses really started to leave.

I am afraid if the United States continues down the road we are on, talented people, money and business will leave.  Singapore, Hong Kong, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and many other places around the world may just make deals and welcome businesses to their countries.

Our problem in agriculture is that it is pretty darn hard to move a farm.

So what am I asking you to do?  Do not put the progressive, liberal, socialists back into power.  I know you may be concerned about farm policy, ethanol policy, etc.  But, look at the big picture.  If the money and talent leave who will pay taxes to support the socialist state left behind?  You and I will. Several states are in the beginning of what I call a “death spiral”.  As more and more tax paying entities leave, the burden becomes greater on those left behind and then more and more leave.  This also causes social welfare costs to go up and this puts a bigger strain on the system and the whole thing just starts to go downward.  Many border communities in Illinois have even seen their convenience stores move across state lines to neighboring states.

Many business people I have come to know are not doing anything right now.  Nothing, they are just waiting it out.  They are waiting to see if things change in this country.  For the betterment of the business climate or for the worse.  Lets hope next year they see the change they need for them to get back to investing their time, talents, and yes money back into the good old USA.

There is a lot of money in Agriculture right now.

Record numbers of attendees at winter Agricultural conferences. National Cattlemen Beef Association and Commodity classic have/had record number of people registered as attendees.

Cash rents are going through the roof in many areas.

Agricultural equipment sales were very high in 2011.

Farm building builders did a record business in 2011.

Land prices set record highs in 2011.  Midwest land prices made new Inflation Adjusted highs in 2011. Surpassing top made in the early 1980s.

Why is there so much money in agriculture right now?  When will the party come to an end?  Will there still be a federal farm safety net when the agriculture economy turns down???

With record government spending and entitlement programs eating up more and more federal revenues, will very much of what we think of as agricultural policy exist in 10 years?

Real farm net income continues to set records.

Lastly, I look out into the future as to what the consequences of all this money will be on the future agricultural economy.

How does a young beginning farmer that is not part of or joining a large already running operation acquire land to farm? Grain farming especially is very,very profitable right now.  Land continues to be “locked” up by large to very large operations.  So how does a young person get started right now?

Of course the government is talking the same things it has done for years and farms just keep getting larger.  Social engineering farm groups continue to complain just like they have for years.  So how do you get started?

Many mid-sized, middle-aged operations continue to loss ground to the mega-farmers.  So how does this mid-type guy survive?  Not too far away from me a mid-sized farmer lost over 400 acres to one of the mega cash renters.  How do you plan on competing with the mega cash renters if you farm in the Midwest? 

I even know of a Co-Op that is re-structuring.  This local Co-Op is trying to leave one parent Co-Op for another one.

Young farmers used to start with livestock.  Can you do that anymore?

Can the government help?

Control of land is where it is at.  For 95% PLUS OF PRODUCTION AGRICULTURE, control of the land or how a farmer controls the land is key.

How are you going to compete in the future?????

I will discuss the economic size of states, and how this affects agriculture.  Where is this all heading and when. What can be done to solve this problem. Will some states need to go into some sort of bankruptcy?

This will become before it is solved a huge problem for the United States.  Obama’s stimulus just helped these states in financial trouble push it down the road for awhile.

Will the population of these states along with their current political lineup allow the sacrifice necessary to solve these problems?  Look at the recall votes in Wisconsin and the ballot initiative in Ohio.How does this affect you and your agricultural operation? How will this affect people in states that are not in financial distress?

Will your taxes be collected and used by the Feds, if these big economic and population states are in control of the Federal Government, to fund their constituents services in their states?

Of course this is I think the 8th January Report in a row that the market has had a “limit” move either up or down.  So, is the grain trade out of sync with the government, is the government just out of sync, or what is it?

The grain market has changed. The Ethanol Industry and large grain farms have changed how grain is marketed and stored in my opinion.  That said, is the grain the government says is there, there?  This we will find out this summer.  Did feed wheat replace that much $6 and $7 corn this late summer and fall?  Is the corn really out there on the farm as the government says?

On our farm we have either sold out, several landlords we sell for and me, or they are 75% plus sold, Judi and several other landlords we sell for.  I just did not want to hold $6 corn through this report, or not much and I also worry big time about Europe.

I would guess between now and spring planting we will probably get back to $6 or close to it.  Maybe even above it.  Judi has one of her “feelings” about this market.  Last time she had one of those she bought $3.68 corn held it until it was over $7.50.  Now, I am not saying to go buy a bunch of corn, but I am buying feed for the cattle right now.  50 cents cheaper corn than it was 3 days ago.

I am more worried about Europe and the Europeans just do not understand, just like the democrats and some republicans here cannot understand you cannot go on spending what you do not have forever.  Many people in Europe and here in the US cannot understand that the government just can not hold to its “promises” on government spending.

I digress, sorry about that.  Back to the grain market is is the corn out there?  Maybe, maybe not, I think it is very hard this day and age to get all the information one needs to make the decision you need to make to then give a guesstimate on numbers.  Especially since the government says the corn is on farms and not in commercial storage.  In my opinion the number on farms is harder to establish then commercial storage.

So time will tell, we just have to wait and see.

My opinion on how and why the Agricultural Community would fare under the different Presidential candidates.  Additionally, how the agricultural markets would react.  I look at all the major candidates including those that have “suspended” campaigns and those that have no chance.

I make no predictions and do not “cheer lead” for anyone in particular, I just assess the field.

I also assess a second Obama term.

I also discuss who and how the different campaigns may put together in a Farm and Ranch coalition.

I am not going to make everybody happy and I am sure to upset quite a few people and many will be USDA employees.

I go through my TOP TEN and then I really have a discussion on the Conservation Reserve Program.  I am a supporter of CRP and was even a bigger supporter when grain prices were really low, but now we need to downsize CRP and focus our time, efforts and money on the areas and practices that will give us the most bang for the buck.

I talk about quite a few conservation programs, but I also go on to explain why some USDA functions just need to be eliminated.

I also explain why I think that for every one job that is reduced at the county office level, the level that actually provides services to farmers and ranchers, and helps farmers and ranchers produce food, then one job at USDA in Washington D.C. needs to be cut and also one job at the major regional offices, like Kansas City, St. Louis, Fort Collins.  Of course one would have to take on the government unions, because all the major offices are union, but many county office employees are not union, and many are prevented by law from being unionized. A secretary of Agriculture that would do this would need independent outside counsel to get this done, considering the “Empires” that exist in many areas of USDA.

We went shopping today.  And if you combine our experience with the articles I have been reading about Sears and K-Mart, then big box stores outlook is bleak in my opinion.  Does this mean they are done for good and there will be absolutely none of them around? No, just that there will be less and less retail trade done through them in the future.

First, looks like Sears and K-Mart are not very profitable and lots of those stores are going to be closed.

Second, we went to Best Buy today and was that a horrible trip.  Everybody but myself and my oldest son got some type of I-Pod, I-Pad for Christmas.  Z wanted to spend some of his own money to get the newest I-Pod.  So, since we were going to town today we stopped at Best Buy.  Since they are scared that customers will walk off with all the electronics, you have to get a card type thing from somebody working by the I-Pod displays, take it to the register, so the check out person can get one out of the locked case.

Well it didn’t work out quite like the store planned.  I know it is a Holiday and lots of people would be shopping, but apparently Best Buy had no idea to put on enough help with adequate knowledge to know how to work their own system.  I had to track down a guy from another department to have him track down a young girl who was not very helpful and or energetic to help get the card thing to take to the check out lane.

Next only two check out lanes open with a very long line to wait in to get checked out.  when we finally got to the check out counter the girl there did not have a key to open the I-Pod case where they all were, no communication device to talk to the guy who had it, she did ask the other checker to help, but he said for her to do it, even though he had the communication device.  She goes off wandering around looking for who knows what and then just comes back and stands by us saying she has to wait for this other guy to come back by his station by the door.  Waiting, waiting, etc., etc., so we just said forget it and we left.

So when we get home we fire up the internet, ordered one and they have one in stock, ready to be shipped. Took Judi three minutes at the most, no gas, no hassle, no fuss.

So where am I going with this?  Internet sales in my opinion will lower sales taxes at the local level and if your state collects them from online sales how does it distribute these tax receipts?  Many towns and cities depend on sales tax for much of the money they operate on.  This means they will compete harder for the “other” types of tax revenue that rural America has had a share of.  Less employment at these types of stores mean more unemployment and higher taxes on the rest of the economy that is working well, which agriculture happens to be a part.

As these big box retailers become less profitable, they will close smaller stores in more rural areas first is another guess of mine.  So if you want to look at it, or “try it on” you will have to maybe go farther to do that.  Also if you do not have high speed internet you will be at a big disadvantage.

Sears for me has been a great place for tools, but will it always be there?  One other problem is that stores like to be in clusters to attract the greatest number of customers, but with less big box retail “anchors” will rural areas even get shopping “clusters”?

So the world is changing, always has, always will, but is rural America ready for a change that I compare with the change from catalog sales to going to the store? A change that happened 70 years ago or so.  I do not think towns and cities that depend on sales tax have thought through the change.  They want to pass more laws to get online sales taxed, but one of my favorite sayings is that water will seek its own level.  no matter how hard they try they will in the end only drive the sales to other places or done in other ways.  The Genie is hard to put back into the bottle.

I also believe in the future I will order more and more agricultural supplies off of the internet.  Can you say Gempler’s, or several livestock show suppliers, or just about anything I would want to buy.   I also know I can live farther away from civilization and get along just fine, thank you.  As long as Fed Ex, or UPS delivers, and occasionally I can get a good meal from a diner/cafe/restaurant that I do not have to cook, then all I need is a rural cooperative with some juice to fire up the computer and high speed internet and I am living “high on the hog”.

Something not in “the plan” goes wrong.

What we as farmers and ranchers often overlook is what we did right, and we focus on only what we did wrong.  We also worry about things we have no control over, when we should be worrying about how to control the risk associated with things we have no control over, such as a drought.

I try to do an honest year end analysis ever year.  What worked and what didn’t and why.  What we will do different next year and what we will try again.  Also, what we will try new

I discuss the difference between “English” and German farming mentality.

Are you ready for the new year?

I doubt one would get this request in Wyoming.  But, in a progressive liberal state we do get this “stuff” quite often.  OK twice a truck hauling cattle had an accident and between the two, 20 head of cattle died.  Now I hate to see this happen, but PETA asked Illinois Department of Transportation to be allowed to put up roadside markers to “mark” the site.

What is next funerals for the cows?  I know people have funerals for their pets, but the general public needs to understand domesticated livestock is not Fido.

Fortunately this request was denied, but with Chicago liberals in charge, who knows they probably agonized over the decision.  Of course they probably ran an opinion poll on this before they decided what to do.

I do hope all you cowboys and cowgirls do not have an accident hauling your cows, but just remember, PETA will try and mark the spot if you do.

Happy New Year, I just wanted to start out 2012 on a light note.

Thanks for reading the blog posts and listening to the podcasts.